


Heat Wave

by smarshtastic



Category: Star Trek (2009), Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, mckirk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-02
Updated: 2011-12-02
Packaged: 2017-10-26 19:01:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/286800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smarshtastic/pseuds/smarshtastic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim is a god damn noble self sacrificing idiot, and Bones is the idiot that picks up the pieces.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heat Wave

The thing about being hot, Jim thought, tugging off his last layer of clothes, is that no matter how many layers of clothes you take off, you’d still be burning up. Being cold is much better – you can pile on the layers and you at least go numb before you freeze to death. When you’re hot, you can feel your skin searing off.

Jim was now lying practically naked on the floor of the observation deck, as far as possible from the engine room. He was close to the window, wishing for the first time in his life that the super-reinforced windows were just a tad thinner. Beads of sweat kept falling in his eyes, but wiping them away proved useless. Jim had never felt so sweaty in his life – he didn’t know his body had this much liquid in him. Though, he reflected, it probably didn’t have much left.

The ship rocked again, accompanied by a horrible sound. Jim winced. It pained him to hear his ship, his baby suffer like this. Then again, he never thought she’d turn on him like this either.

Aside from the unbearable grunts and groans from Enterprise, the ship was completely silent. Jim had insisted the crew evacuate as soon as the engines started misbehaving. They lost several engineers after the first explosion, and they were too close to a starbase to risk keeping so many onboard. They sent out the evacuation shuttles in waves, and Bones had fought tooth and nail the whole time.

“Jim, this is stupid – don’t be noble,” Bones had said, his face creased with worry and anger.

“You’ll be there and back in a couple of hours. Plenty of time,” Jim insisted.

“You don’t have to stay here!”

Jim thought he would have had to stun Bones to get him in the damn shuttle, but Bones got in and flew away with the last of the crew. He could barely stand to look at the CMO’s face as the shuttle doors closed.

That was a few hours ago.

They had probably gotten to the starbase pretty quick, Jim reasoned to himself. The shuttles were fast, and the crew knew the urgency of the situation. Pike would never forgive him if he scratched Enterprise, let alone let it blow up.

He reached out for his comm, which was lying a few feet away. It took more effort than he thought it would be, and that was faintly worrying. He wished he had brought a PADD with him to the observation deck, but he hadn’t been thinking. His comm didn’t show any missed calls. He breathed out and the ship lurched underneath him. She never moved like this before, in uncoordinated jerks and dives. It was unsettling. Jim waited for the ship to even out again before he tried to scoot closer to the window. He briefly contemplated taking his underwear off, but he didn’t think it would be very dignified for his crew to come back and find him naked on the floor of the observation deck. Though it wouldn’t be the first time, but those were different circumstances, and he was pretty sure that Andorian ale had been laced with something hallucinogenic.

It’d be another hour, maybe two, if the shuttles had to be recharged, before the crew started coming back to Enterprise. If the starbase had the right parts they needed to fix the engines. Jim pushed that worrying thought out of his mind – it was no use speculating. A shadow of doubt was starting to creep into Jim’s head, and he tried to push that aside too. Bones’s angry words rang in Jim’s ears, but he had promised that he’d come back for Jim. Bones was a man of his word. He would come back. He would, Jim didn’t doubt it.

The heat was building. Jim could feel it rising through the floor. He shifted a bit, trying to find a cooler spot. It was a futile effort. His energy was best spent doing as little as possible, to keep him as alert as possible for as long as possible.

Jim didn’t know how much time had passed any more. Surely the crew would be on their way back now. At least the engineers, to get the engine functioning properly. The heat was getting more intense, and the ship was bucking more and more. It was getting harder for him to keep his thoughts together, between the heat and the movements of the ship. He let his mind go – it was useless trying to think, anyway, it would only add fuel to that doubt Jim was trying to suppress. The crew would come back and the ship would be put to rights and Bones would yell at him for being a self-sacrificing idiot, just like normal.

He must have passed out because the next thing Jim registered was that some of the lights had gone out. He was on his back, the sweat pooling uncomfortably around him. The ceiling was dark above him, and he was thankful for that – less heat – but it also meant that something else had shorted while Jim had been unconscious. His hand scrabbled against the floor, reaching for the comm, but there were no missed messages flashing on the little device. He could feel his muscles spasming under his skin, dull cramps that were quickly becoming more and more excruciating.

Then there was another blank spot in his memory.

Jim was roused by the ship jerking hard, following a loud boom. He slid across the floor painfully, slipping in his own sweat and sticking to the hot parts of the floor. His arm crunched under him when he hit one of the chaise lounges, powerless to stop himself from connecting with the hard corner anchoring the piece of furniture to the floor. The combination of the pain and the mounting heat was too much, and Jim went unconscious again.

There was a noise, a different one, when Jim came around again. Enterprise was oddly still and quiet. The comm was squawking but was nowhere in sight. Jim opened his mouth to make a noise, but he found that his mouth was impossibly dry, and it was unlikely anything would transmit over the comm. He dimly wondered if the heat would interfere with the transmission even if he could get to the device. The hoarse noise that escaped from his lips was eclipsed by another boom and shake.

Jim closed his eyes. It had been too long. The shuttles must not have been charged enough, or else they’d be back by now. His perception of time wasn’t good, but it had to have been too long. The way the ship was moving now was strange, it probably wouldn’t be long now. His skin felt like it was on fire, his left arm was throbbing painfully. Jim was generally an optimistic person, but it was getting harder to keep his head in the right place. The blackness took him again, and he let it envelop him, the prospect of the cold darkness of space a welcome thought.

***

Leonard hated shuttles under the best of circumstances, and this was hardly the time to be holed up in this stupid little tin can of a ship. He looked out the shuttle window against his better judgment; Enterprise had never looked so limp and sad. Not that he appreciated the beauty of the starship like Jim did – Leonard could really care less about how the nacelles complimented the curve of the hull, and how graceful it moved through space. It was disconcerting, though, to see her hang there, lifeless. He mentally urged the shuttle to the disabled ship faster.

The shuttle landed and Bones was out like a shot. The ship was still ridiculously hot – maybe hotter than when he had left it – but according to the buzz of activity around him, the engineers had started the repairs, and gotten the ventilation working properly again. Bones went straight for an emergency medkit and commed Spock, who had been first on the ship once it had been stabilized.

“Spock – the captain, where is he?”

“At the moment, we are unsure, Dr. McCoy. He is not on the bridge and we are currently scanning the ship for life signs – “

“Damn it, man!” Leonard growled. “Find him!”

“We are doing our best – “

Leonard cut Spock off by turning the comm off in a fit of frustration. The green blooded hobgoblin couldn’t have looked for Jim first thing? That was their captain, for god’s sake! Leonard allowed himself a moment to take a deep breath and collect his thoughts. Where would Jim go? He tried to ignore the sinking feeling dragging his stomach down as he set off for all Jim’s usual hiding spots.

He moved fast – they had been delayed leaving the starbase and Bones knew that he had to get to Jim soon. It was so hot, the ship had been so damaged, Leonard could only hope Jim had kept himself safe.

Jim almost never kept himself safe, Leonard’s subconscious reminded him. He forced himself to move faster.

Where would Jim go? Leonard asked himself again. He tried to think like Jim. Though Leonard was far from a dunce, he didn’t have Jim’s tactical skills, and sometimes Jim’s decisions baffled him until he explained the logical jumps he made. Jim never ceased to amaze him.

Leonard needed to approach this logically, or at least systematically. Jim was smart enough to stay away from the engines (he hoped), but he wasn’t on the bridge. He would be somewhere far away from the engines, Leonard reasoned. He was on observation deck A a few minutes later, slightly winded. He scanned the deck from the doorway, but he didn’t see anything immediately out of the ordinary.

The comm.

It was lying on the floor a few yards away from the big window. Then he noticed the pile of clothes, and Leonard recognized Jim’s captain shirt. Leonard lurched forward, heart pounding in his chest. He picked up the comm and looked around. Finally, his eyes fell on Jim. He felt a surge of relief, practically diving for him. His captain’s arm was bent under him at an odd angle and Jim’s skin was red and raw in some places, his body lying in a puddle of sweat. Leonard barely registered that Jim was only in his underwear. He flipped the comm open and called for a medical transport, stat.

“Damn it, Jim,” Leonard swore under his breath quietly, carefully checking Jim’s stats. The pulse was there – but fast and weak.

The medical team was there quickly, but not quick enough for Leonard’s liking. He barked orders and they managed to get Jim on a stretcher. Jim twitched and made a noise when they moved him. Leonard leaned in close, his lips close to his ear, putting a gentle hand on Jim’s forehead. Jim’s skin was burning up.

“Shh, Jim – we got you. It’s okay. You’re going to be okay,” Leonard murmured urgently, as the medical team swept Jim away from the observation deck and down to the sickbay. Jim opened his mouth to speak, but only a painful rasping noise managed to come out. Leonard shushed him again, trying to keep his detached doctor-face intact.

They rushed Jim to the sick bay and got him on a biobed. Leonard barked orders as he turned on all the machines with one hand, reaching for a pair of scissors with his other. He was cutting Jim’s underwear off when Chapel brought him an IV bag of fluids. He got the IV in Jim’s non-injured arm and dimmed the lights. He checked Jim’s other arm – it was broken, but it would have to wait. The sudden flurry of activity felt good to Leonard, it felt like everything was right again, even though Jim’s skin was still on fire under his touch and the readouts on the monitor were weak. He silently hoped that Jim’s heart would hold out just a bit longer – long enough to get his temperature down. Leonard kept up a constant stream of grumbles and swears, half directed at Jim, but mostly it was a nervous reaction to hide his own tension and worry.

Leonard called for all the cold compresses they had, applying them to Jim’s neck, head, torso and groin. He kept a wary eye on his captain’s stats, waiting for them to climb back up. His heartbeat was still weak and irregular. Jim was unconscious still, but at least his body temperature was starting to fall. Leonard pushed another bag of fluids and called to Chapel.

“We need to get the room temperature down, now,” he said.

“The ventilation’s back online, but – “

“Get the lights down, then,” Leonard said sharply. Chapel ducked her head and hurried off to turn off lights, and any other machines that might be generating heat.

In the semi-darkness, Leonard watched Jim’s face, silently urging him to come back. There was an uncomfortable tightness in his own chest. He sank down on a stool beside the biobed and took Jim’s hand carefully in his own. All there was to do now was to wait. Leonard hated waiting.

***

Jim came to a few hours later. He squinted in the darkness, trying to process where he was. It was cooler now, but his skin ached something awful. He was lying down, but not on the hard floor of the observation deck… He was on something soft. He tried to recall what had happened; the last thing he remembered with the lights going out, the ship going quiet…

Jim tried to push himself up, but the shooting pain in his left arm made him crumple back against the biobed, and something sharp pulled in his other arm.

Biobed?

“Bones?” Jim croaked. His mouth felt dry and rough, it hurt to talk. Bones was up like a rocket; Jim now registered the beeping of the sickbay machines.

“Jim – you need to lie still, your arm’s broken,” Bones was saying, but his voice sounded far away. Jim felt a strong, gentle hand on his chest, pushing him back. He closed his eyes again when his head hit the pillow. He could feel Bones moving around him, a cool hand checking his pulse the old-fashioned way. The coolness felt so good – Jim moved into the touch. “Easy, Jim. We’ll get you more cold compresses.”

Jim made a little noise, but his throat was so raw it turned into a whimper. Bones’s hand was on his brow, then his cheek. Jim let his eyes close again.

“You’re a god damn idiot,” Bones murmured, but there was no venom in his voice. He thought he hadn’t heard Bones speak like that before. Jim felt a rush of cold as new compresses were pressed against his skin. It felt so good he could cry. “Oh – Jim…”

Jim woke again later, not knowing how much time had passed. He felt better. His skin still hurt but he didn’t feel like he was going to burst into flames at any moment. This had the side effect of making the pain in his broken arm sharper, however. He opened his eyes and blinked at the little flashing lights of the machines next to his bed. It was dark, and the air was less oppressively hot. Now it was just warm, which would’ve been pleasant if Jim didn’t ever want to feel heat on his skin again.

He blinked at the machines and turned his head a bit. Bones was there, asleep on the stool. Jim licked his lips – they were chapped and split, and his tongue still felt swollen and heavy.

“Bones?” Jim murmured. His throat still ached, but he felt stronger. “Bones?”

Bones startled awake and nearly fell off his stool. The corners of Jim’s mouth turned up as Bones peered at him in the semi-darkness.

“Welcome back, you god damn noble, self-sacrificing fool,” Bones said softly. Jim smiled wider.

“Hi,” he rasped. Bones shook his head and looked down at a PADD.

“Don’t talk, it’ll hurt,” Bones said. “You suffered some pretty bad heat stroke, Jim.”

“Was some heat wave, huh?” Jim mumbled. Bones was avoiding looking at him.

“You’re an idiot. You’ve broken your left arm, and you’ll have heat rash for a few days. We’re waiting for you to stabilize before we set your arm,” Bones continued, keeping his eyes on the PADD in his hands. Jim reached out to pet Bones’s hand, and he didn’t pull away. Bones finally looked at Jim, and sighed. Jim was still trying to smile, even though his face felt tight. “It was a stupid plan.”

“Worked,” Jim said, raising his right shoulder slightly in a small shrug. Bones bent swiftly and brushed Jim’s chapped lips with his own.

“Stupid. Don’t do it again,” Bones said brusquely as he straightened. “Get some rest; I don’t want to leave your arm unset for much longer.”

Bones picked up his PADD again, making himself look busy so he wouldn’t have to look at his captain. Jim breathed out and sank back against the biobed. It was easy for him to drift off to sleep in spite of the pain, when he knew Bones was looking out for him.


End file.
